We are pleased to announce the results of the public vote for the 2015 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame.
The AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize the hard work that developers put into making great applications that are fully accessible to blind and low-vision users. These apps can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or, in some cases, they can just be good fun!
In short, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame endeavors to recognize the "best of the best" in terms of accessible iOS applications.
To be considered for possible induction into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, an app must be fully accessible with VoiceOver, and have been fully accessible for at least 90 days before the public nomination period. Generally, shortlisted apps are those whose developers have repeatedly gone above and beyond to ensure that accessibility is a high priority, and that the general user experience is exceptional; this certainly proved to be the case with both of the apps the community chose for induction.
The AppleVis community’s first choice for the 2015 iOS App Hall of Fame induction is KNFBReader, a feature-rich text recognition app for iOS devices. With KNFBReader, users can convert nearly any type of printed text, including mail, receipts, class handouts, memos and many other documents, into high quality speech.
This latest accolade follows on the heals of KNFBReader being chosen by the AppleVis community as the Best Assistive iOS App in our 2014 Golden Apple Awards.
The second app to be voted into the iOS App Hall of Fame for 2015 is Be My Eyes - Helping Blind See, an app which connects blind users in need of assistance with sighted volunteers via video conferencing, . While other apps, including previous Hall of Fame inductee Tap Tap See - Blind and Visually Impaired Camera offer picture recognition to blind users, Be My Eyes is the first app that we know of to provide live assistance via video. The fact that Be My Eyes is based entirely on the support of sighted volunteers makes it all the more worthy for induction into the iOS App Hall of Fame.
Our congratulations go to the teams behind each of these great apps.
Our next Hall of Fame induction will be held in May 2016. If there is an app which you feel should be on the shortlist for the next vote, please do take a moment to nominate it.